NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday appreciated the Delhi Police for nabbing Ariz Khan, wanted in several terror cases but at large for over a decade, and also stressed the need for using the latest technology for crime detection.

Ariz Khan, held by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell from Banbasa on the India-Nepal border in Uttarakhand, was among the people present at the Batla House flat where a gunfight between Indian Mujahideen terrorists and police took place in 2008 but had succeeded in escaping.

Addressing the 71st Raising Day Parade of Delhi Police, Rajnath Singh also announced a contribution of Rs. 5 crore by the Union Home Ministry towards the Delhi Police Martyrs Fund. Generally, the corpus is funded by the Delhi Police personnel by contributing a day’s salary once a year.

He also lauded the force’s community policing and Intelligent Traffic Management System initiatives.

The Minister said since forensics are crucial in crime investigation, the government is adding more forensic laboratories in the national capital. Besides, he said the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) will soon become fully operational, giving police forces an edge.

Noting as Delhi is the capital of the country, Delhi Police is looked up to by the entire nation, he said: “Therefore, people from across the country have a lot of expectations from the Delhi Police. This requires Delhi Police to put extra effort and they need to be extra alert and cautious.”

Citing the example of how police in Bogota, capital of South America’s Columbia, once known as the murder capital, brought a turn around and made the city safe, Rajnath Singh said with effective strategy crime graph can be checked almost 70 per cent even in metros, like Delhi and Mumbai.